HEALTH & HEALING


Holland tended to be born underweight. Scientists found that, as adults, they were more likely to experience obesity, diabetes and cancer. Intriguingly, their children and grandchildren also tended to have low birth weights and be vulnerable as adults to these afflictions. In another experiment, fruit flies were


exposed to a dangerous toxin that caused a strange growth around their eyes, and their offspring had the same condition for at least 13 generations. This suggests that humans’ health is at least partly determined by the lifestyles and experiences of their parents and grandparents. Indeed, some scientists believe lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity are soaring in Australia because successive generations have literally enjoyed the ‘the fat of the land’. So what should you do if you want to give


your descendents the best genetic start in life?


EAT SENSIBLY Too much high fat food not only results in weight gain but also increases risk of cancer and other illnesses. Breast cancer, for instance, is six times higher in the United States than Japan, and when Japanese migrate to the US, their children’s risk of this disease doubles. A Taiwanese study found that pregnant female mice fed a high fat diet had offspring with twice the risk of breast cancer, even if the youngsters ate a healthy diet itself. But offspring that grew up eating the same high fat diet as their mothers were three times more likely to develop cancers. Similarly, an Australian lab study found


that animals fed a high fat and low nutrition diet while pregnant had offspring prone to diabetes and high blood pressure. However, it might not be just the quality


of food that is important, but also the quantity. Pregnant women may be urged to ‘eat for two’. Yet a study was made of boys in a 19th Century Swedish village conceived during times when food was abundant. The study found the grandchildren of these boys died, on average, several years younger than boys conceived in so-called normal times. Adelaide researchers are finding that


intensive diet advice, and exercise, during pregnancy, can help women with gestational diabetes to control glucose levels and moderate the weight of their babies, thus benefiting the children long-term. Meanwhile, a major national project has


started to monitor the health of the children of overweight mothers that have successfully restricted weight gain during pregnancy. However, Professor Julie Owens, from the Research Centre for Reproductive Health, says that there is still not enough evidence to prescribe precisely what, and how much, pregnant women should or shouldn’t eat. Nonetheless, she advises overweight women intending to get pregnant to lose weight and get fit, which at least will improve fertility and make delivery easier.


DON’T SMOKE Smoking when young, at a time when the body experiences more epigenetic change, might harm future generations. A 2006


study of 14,000 men in the UK found that fathers who had began smoking before the age of nine had sons with higher body mass index, making them more prone to diabetes and obesity in later life. A study in Los Angeles has found that


children whose grandparents smoked, but whose parents didn’t, had twice the risk of asthma. Children whose grandmothers and mothers had both smoked during their pregnancies had three times this risk. The head of the study concluded that the toxins might methylate genes in the immune system.


EAT MORE GREENS AND VITAMINS There is much debate about how methylated genes might be reactivated, but research suggests getting enough vegetables and vitamins could provide the answer. For instance, a tumour-suppressor


gene known as P16 can be methylated in lung cells through nicotine exposure, increasing their risk of lung cancer. But an American researcher, Steve Belinsky, has found that that consuming green leafy plants, vegetables, folates, folic acids and vitamins A and E could reduce this methylation, and even reactivate P16. Indeed, he concluded that just 12 servings of leafy vegetables a month could reduce DNA methylation in these genes by 20%. And taking multivitamins could reduce the methylation by half. Similar findings have been made in


regard to heart disease. There is evidence that soy beans and green vegetables such as broccoli have chemicals essential in healthy methylation, that is, positive methylation. What’s more, in 2003, scientists gave multivitamins and folic acid to pregnant mice that had a gene making them fat, yellow and diabetic. As a result of the treatment, the offspring were born slim, brown and healthy.


NO EASY SOLUTIONS Adelaide cancer researcher Tina Bianco- Miotto says that Australia is facing an obesity epidemic. However, she says that, rather than relying on a pill to solve the problem, people should be encouraged to follow a healthy diet and lifestyle. The message from the epigenetic


scientists is unequivocal. Food, lifestyle and the environment can all modify genes for good or bad. Be aware of this and heed the scientists’


message and you will unquestionably benefit, as will your offspring, and their offspring. Ignore it and there might, sadly, be a price to be paid.


References to be found on the website version of this article. See www.livingnow.com.au.


David is an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in Adelaide. His wife is pregnant with their third child, and they researched how their lifestyle and diet influences their


children’s health. This article began as a research project for a Professional Writing Advanced Diploma.


Download this magazine as an e-book: livingnow.com.au


How To Live Life On Your Own Terms And Assist Others


To Do The Same Australia’s leading life coach reveals how to transform passion into profit


If you want to make more of a difference to others as you enjoy learning how to be the best YOU, you can be and living the life you want on your own terms; then this 60 minute special peek into Life Coaching is your ticket to new choices. In this CD you’ll discover:


How a Sydney life coach fulfilled his calling to launch and fund his own Not-For-Profit organization… and has moved to New York City to expand!


The secret to growing a client list without spending money or having any experience in sales.


How a Queensland single Mum created a successful life coaching business from home that gave her the life style and connection with others she always dreamed of.


How Andrea H. was able to step out of the full-time job that was stifling her, into a coaching business that transformed her life as she earned income from assisting others.


And much, much more…


This remarkable CD will inspire you, motivate you and open your eyes to a world of new possibilities. You’ll discover how to stay true to yourself and succeed in a new coaching career. You’ll know how to attract a never ending stream of new clients without invading their personal space. And as a bonus, you’ll discover a little known client attraction strategy that works 100% of the time. Yes, 100% of the time… if you do this first.


To get your FREE CD VALUED AT $197


call 1800 094 927 or email timetoact@thecoachinginstitute.com.au


Nationally & Internationally recognised course


Certificate IV in Life Coaching (22065VIC)


Diploma of Life Coaching (22063VIC)


www.thecoachinginstitute.com.au 1800 094 927 YOUR SUCCESS... OUR PASSION APRIL 2011 7


Turn Your Passion Into Your Income


85951i131


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21